I have used Mandriva since I started with Linux and I have had my times when I had a tough time learning Linux but now, I am so happy that I change to Linux.
I have managed without problem to make 4 friends of mine to change from windows to Linux. 2 of them are women.
I always had to come over to this girls and help them out with there windows computers. They had all this kind of strange problems, Internet explorer had some bad spyware, they had viruses and they had a giant problem with booting windows. You see when they started their laptops as soon as the desktop come up BSOD (Blue Screen Of Death) appeared. I never figured out this problem. They both got used to wait about 10-20 minutes before the desktop didnt crash.
I started to talk about Linux and one of the girls said"Linux? What is that?" I told her that it was a more stable platform aso. She asked, can I use internet, MSN and Word? I said yes and she said allright can you fix it for me?
So I did. And she is so happy now. Every thing is super according to her. And everytime she askes if she can do something and need help I just use TightVNC and login to her and fix it.
She doesnt know one command in Linux! And she loves it! Why? Because she can do all the thing that she uses her computer for.
The other girl is more of a computer girl, she also had the same laptop and the same trouble with BSOD. She changed too and she is really starting to like it. This is great.
The 2 guys changed and loved it right away, all using Mandriva 2005 LE.
[moved from Talk-Talk by spinynorman - welcome aboard :)]